Home Secretary's future in doubt after porn films row

DOWNING Street yesterday moved to defend under-fire Home Secretary Jacqui Smith after she was forced to apologise for "mistakenly" claiming the cost of ordering a pair of adult films on Commons expenses.

No 10 insisted that she was doing a "great" job and would not be deflected by the latest controversy to engulf her over her parliamentary allowances. But at Westminster, MPs were openly questioning whether she would be able to save her Cabinet career.

According to friends, Ms Smith was "mortified" by the error which led to the invoice for the two films being submitted along with a 67 bill for an internet connection.

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It was stressed that she had not seen the films, which were watched by her husband, Richard Timney, at their family home in Redditch, Worcestershire, while she was away.

A contrite Mr Timney appeared briefly outside the house yesterday to read a short statement apologising for the "embarrassment" he had caused to his wife.

But while Ms Smith also apologised and promised to repay the money involved, doubts were growing at Westminster as to whether it would be enough to save her political career.

Angus Robertson, the SNP's leader at Westminster, said her credibility had been undermined by the disclosures. "These are serious allegations and only add to the impression that Labour is becoming engulfed in expenses sleaze," he said.

"The ongoing allegations of expenses irregularities leave the Home Secretary's credibility in tatters and present real questions over her future as a senior minister."

Ms Smith's former Tory opposite number, ex-shadow home secretary David Davis, expressed disbelief that she had submitted a claim for the films.

"My first response was, 'Under what category would this expense claim be?'" he said. He warned that her poor performance as Home Secretary left Ms Smith vulnerable now that she was under pressure over other issues.

Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik said that Ms Smith had been "compromised" by her husband's activities. But Downing Street sought to shore up her position, issuing a statement, which read: "Jacqui Smith has done the right thing by taking steps to rectify this inadvertent mistake as soon as she became aware of it.

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"She is doing a great job as Home Secretary and will not let this issue detract from her determination to ensure we protect the public and make our neighbourhoods safer." However, even among ministers, support for Ms Smith was not totally wholehearted.

While the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, said that she was an "outstanding" Home Secretary, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Yvette Cooper, sidestepped the issue.

"I don't know any more than you have just had on your bulletins," she said "It is difficult for me to comment on any individual case."

Ms Smith is already under investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, John Lyon, for claiming at least 116,000 in second home allowances on the house in Redditch while listing her main home as a London flat she shares with her sister.

The fact that this latest claim again relates to the Redditch home will only add to her problems.

The two adult films appeared on a Virgin Media bill as "additional features", which were viewed on 1 and 6 April last year for a charge of 5 each.

A friend said Ms Smith knew there was "no excuse" for what had happened. She added: "To say Jacqui is angry with her husband is an understatement."

HOME EXPENSES

DOCUMENTS published yesterday show Jacqui Smith claimed 150,304 for the cost of running a second home since 2001.

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This covered council tax, utilities and insurance but also fixtures and fittings, including an 88p bath plug.

Ms Smith claimed for a kitchen sink worth 550, a dining room table worth 460, a sofa bed at 704 and an antique-style fireplace costing 1,000.

Other items included a cooker, a tumble dryer and two washing machines. Home entertainment included DVD players, two widescreen TVs and two digital set-top boxes.

An itemised receipt for the bill from VirginMedia included the two 18-rated "additional features" which cost 5 each to view.